Pranab Mukherjee launches the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

Written by Anand

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

New Delhi: Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has launched the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), which has been mandated to skill 150 million people by the year 2022. The NSDC, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Enterprise, is intended to foster private sector industries to encourage skill training in 21 sectors.

Besides Ministry of Finance, all prominent industry bodies have contributed to the initial capital of this 51:49 venture between the private sector and government.

The NSDC aims to develop skills and requisite capabilities in 30% of the overall target of 500 million people by the year 2022.

"The important role assigned to NSDC consists of harnessing the energies of the private sector in supplementing the efforts being made by various Government entities. The specific mandate of the NSDC is to stimulate and co-ordinate private sector initiatives in the skill development sector," said Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the launch programme of NSDC.

At the launch programme skill gap reports concerning 12 industry sectors were released. The minister said that the study of projected skill gaps in the high priority sectors, which was been unveiled today, is path breaking, and outlines, in great detail, the challenges posed in various sectors.

"Two areas, in regard to which, immediate action is warranted on the part of NSDC are establishing convergence with a few programmes being run by selected Ministries/Departments of Government of India; and, establishing Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), a role that has been entrusted to NSDC in the National Policy of Skill Development," Shri Pranab Mukherjee added.

"Skill development programmes are being run by 17 Ministries/Departments in the Government of India. Large budgetary outlays are being earmarked for these programmes. Public interest demands that duplication is avoided between the work areas of the relevant sectoral entities and NSDC. There is need to develop synergy between the efforts of Government and NSDC, which catalyses private sector interest in skill development, to optimally employ underutilized assets. Accordingly, NSDC should dovetail some of its activities, in a seamless manner, with the programmes/schemes being implemented by Government Ministries and Departments. Two areas which can be taken up for immediate consideration are adoption of a few ITIs by NSDC on a ‘management contract’ basis, so that models for better management of the existing infrastructure can be evolved. Similarly , initiatives can be taken to bring in best ‘techno-managerial’ practices, in conducting skill development programmes for workers in textile sector in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles," he said.

The National Policy on Skill Development envisages creation of Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), through the NSDC, for performing a wide range of functions, the most important of which are determination of competency standards and qualifications, development of curricula and active participation in the process relating to examination, certification and accreditation.